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Directional Play of Color
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Throughout the pages on this web site you will see various
references to "directional play of color." This particular phenomena
deserves explanation for several reasons. The first is that directional play of
color does effect the value of an opal and the more directional the play of color is the
more profoundly it will effect the value of the stone. The second reason is
that it is an area that can almost invite misrepresentation where opals are concerned.
Look at the photographs below and remember that they were all
taken of the same opal doublet.
Example Number One
CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO SEE AN ENLARGED VIEW
   
Best orientation
  
Of course, we have picked a fairly severe example to make a point.
Part of the idea here is to figure out if you can set the stone in an orientation
that shows its best play of color for your particular application. In all of the
light background photos above the opal is lying flat on the table top. When I am
holding the opal in my hand the opal is at the same approximate angle that would work for
a pendant. So, for this particular opal, if I was going to purchase it I would plan
on setting it in a pendant with the "flat" side up to get the color that I can
see in the best orientation photo.
Our second example is even more striking in its contrast.
This opal is also a doublet.
BE SURE AND CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO SEE AN ENLARGED VIEW OF THE
OPAL
   
 
There is some pretty good fire in some of the orientations above and
some interesting patterns to the play of color. The opal was primarily being rotated
from side to side to get the different colorful views. If the opal were set in this
orientation, as the wearer moves, or the viewer changes their orientation to the
wearer, the play of color will fire off in these different patterns of play of color.
The whole feel is abstract and somewhat oriental to my eye. But, look at another
orientation.
On end with the straight side to the left there is a dramatic spread of bright warm
colors that are very impressive.
 
What if we shift the straight side to the right, still holding the the
opal on end?
Wow! Better still. A plume feeling array of bright reds,
oranges and yellows with some blues and green thrown in for contrast.
Look what a slight variation in rotation will do to change the play of
color. In this series of photos the opal is rotated slightly left to right.
There is fantastic color here, but the view on the left reminds us that it is directional.
   
And just when you started to think that it just could not get any
better, you decide to try one more orientation.
This one is the best view yet in my opinion. Almost full coverage
red and orange play of color with bits of other colors mixed in for variety. If you
get a glimpse of this one out of the corner of your eye, you will turn to get a better
look. I would set it in a pendant to show off this orientation.
 
A
B
But while we are dreaming of the potential designs for this beautiful
opal, do not forget that what we are dealing with is directional fire.
C
One of the primary reasons that we have so many photos of the materials
that we have for sale on the web site is to give you as much information as possible about
what you are buying. If we show you one photograph of an opal and it looks like A
and I ship the opal to you and you open the box and it looks like C, you are likely to
faint. That is why we tell you about the directional play of color on the cabochons
that we sell.
We are always happy to take additional photos for you or answer
questions about what we think about how directional the play of color is in a particular
opal, the best orientation of the play of color, etc. Do not hesitate to ask.
Directional play of color does effect the value of an opal and how much
it effects the value is a matter of degree. If you have an opal that only
"fires off" when viewed from one rather strange angle that does not lend itself
to jewelry applications you have seriously impacted the value of that particular opal.
It is not worthless at all, but seriously effected. Our prices always reflect
the impact that the degree of directionality of the play of color has on the value of the
opal.
We believe that if you are going to use an opal for a pendant or pin
then it needs to be an opal that shows its best play of color in that position. If
an opal shows its best play of color lying flat it is a good candidate for a ring or
bracelet . Highly directional opals can still be effective when used in rings or on
bracelets or perhaps cuff links where the wearer moves the opal as a matter of course.
It is interesting to see a sudden flash of color emerge from a ring that looked
quite dark, or blue, or whatever just a minute ago. Not as good as if it were firing
off all of the time, but pleasing never the less. The added benefit is that the
highly directional opals are considerably less expensive than their non directional
counterparts which show the same play of color all of the time.
It is my feeling that if you have an opal that shows its best
orientation of play of color in a pendant or pin type vertical position and you set it
that way into jewelry, you have lessened the impact of the directionality. The reason
being that it has become a pendant opal at that point. The fact that its ring
orientation is not as good has become a moot point. You still need to inform a
potential purchaser that the opal has directional fire, but you no longer have to worry
about explaining to them how to best hold the opal to view the best play of color, wearing
the piece as it was intended will do that. It is unlikely that when their friends
admire their opal that they will remove it from their neck and place it flat upon a table
to demonstrate its poor play of color orientation from that angle.
As a last word on this subject be aware that we are not saying that the
play of color has to look the same all of time or that it will. In fact, very rarely
will an opal fire off in the same colors and patterns from all angles. It is
perfectly acceptable for the colors to change as the opal is rotated and/or the angle of
view is changed. This does not impact the value as long as there is play of color
that is visible at all times and in the same amounts. When an opal fails to fire off
equally in the same amounts from all viewing angles at all times then we start to try and
determine to what degree the play of color is effected. There are, of course, an
infinite number of possibilities. We have been talking here more about when the play
of color disappears altogether from view at certain angles and views, or changes
dramatically, or changes enough to be distracting visually. Then the value or the
opal is seriously effected.
You are always welcome to inquire about these properties on any of our
cut opal cabochons and we will be happy to give you all of the information that we can.
This is not something that we can know about the rough that has not been cut.
This is one of the properties that can only be determined after the fact.
There is usually a play of color orientation that the cutter favors when studying a piece
of rough before cutting, but that is a topic for another day.
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Doc and Liz McKay
Gold Rush Jewerly Bead and Art Company
Opal Opal
P.O. Box 635
Fairplay, CO 80440
719-836-2143
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